Easy Ways to Add Veggies to Everyday Meals

(Family Features) Everyone can agree that eating your vegetables is important. Yet only about 4 percent of Americans eat the recommended amount of veggies each day.

The frozen vegetable expert, Birds Eye, is working to help more people eat more vegetables more often by teaching consumers the importance of vegetables and providing delicious, easy ways to make veggies a part of everyday meals.

Good eating habits start early
Through partnerships with organizations, such as Environmental Media Association, Birds Eye educates children on ways to enjoy vegetables. The current school garden program brings celebrities, like Lance Bass, back to their hometowns to plant vegetable gardens and talk to students about the importance of veggies, agriculture and healthy eating, while allowing them to understand and connect with their environment.

Healthy, inside and out
Because vegetables provide valuable disease-fighting benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease, obesity and Type 2 diabetes while lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, decreasing bone loss and protecting against certain cancers, the USDA recommends that Americans fill half their plates with fruits and vegetables. The USDA cites many benefits to filling more of each plate with vegetables, such as: Vegetables are low in fat, calories and cholesterol, and offer nutrients, such as potassium, fiber and folic acid. Potassium, dietary fiber and folate have been linked to cardiovascular health, while vitamins A and C help keep the immune system strong. Adding 1-3 cups of vegetables each day can make a significant difference in long-term health.

Here are some easy tips for adding veggies to each day:

Mixing vegetables into eggs is a great way to start the day.

Mix it up with flavored vegetables. Birds Eye offers more than 40 vegetable varieties, with something that appeals to almost everyone.

Sit down for dinner together as a family. Family meals are more likely to contain healthy foods and have the added benefit of reconnecting with loved ones.

Buying frozen vegetables means less prep work, making it easier to include veggies – even on a busy day.

Try replacing carbs with vegetables – mix some broccoli into your mashed potatoes or replace some of your pasta with veggies.

Green is good
Not only are vegetables good for the body, they’re good for the world. When people fill more of their plates with vegetables, farmers can feed more people using less land, water and energy. Additionally, fewer chemicals are needed and fewer greenhouse gasses are released.